


Drabbles, One Shots and Short Stories

by KoKoa_B (J_Linz)



Category: DCU, Justice League & Justice League Unlimited (Cartoons), Justice League of America (Comics)
Genre: Bondage and Discipline, Character Death, F/F, F/M, First Kiss, Gen, Multi, No Sex, Spanking, Spoilers, Threats of Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-27
Updated: 2017-12-27
Packaged: 2018-05-25 16:48:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 12,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6203134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/J_Linz/pseuds/KoKoa_B
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This "book" will contain one shots and drabbles pertaining to DC-related things. More likely to do with my Lyght series as well as characters taken from there. Some one shots will contain or are flat out spoilers for my other works; they will be noted beforehand! </p><p>*Marked Explicit to cover the more sexual one shots; most are for General Audiences*</p><p>*More tags and characters may be added as needed.*</p><p>*Relationships don't necessarily denote romantic ones.*</p><p>*All OCs belong to me.*</p><p>*This is a work of fiction. I do not own nor am I affiliated with anything pertaining to DC. I make no monetary value in the writing of these stories*</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Cover Art!

[](https://imgbb.com/)


	2. Last Request

“This is a setup.” Kal-El seethed. He shook his head at the white-haired woman, “How dare he pulls something like this…”

“I can take care of myself.” Tabitha interrupted. She admitted that she didn’t favor the idea as well. Not to say that she was willing to forgive, but she knew that if the man slipped up, she had the means to end his life, no questions asked.

 

* * *

 

Hours before, a civilian guard approached the Metro Tower Monitor to deliver a message. Tabitha grew used to receiving random messages from various sources; they either asked for help or was fan mail. This message was neither; only a request from the man that the majority of the Justice League had their problems with: Lex Luthor.

She didn’t know what to make of the note; the only thing it asked was for her… and her only to meet him in his upscale, high-rise apartment. They hadn’t heard from the man in months and Kal-El had a feeling that he was up to something. The last time Tabitha had seen Luthor, his assistant conjured a demon to possess her.

“It’s probably what he wants. I say let her meet with him.”

“Are you insane?!” Kal-El glared at Bruce. He gave him a nonchalant shrug.

“I can be her eyes in the sky. J’onn can be there with her; Luthor would be none the wisest.”

“He has a point. This may very well be a plot to bring **you** out in the open.” J’onn agreed but looked at the man of steel. He huffed his disapproval.

“I just wanna get this over with. If ya comin’, let’s go. He ain’t gonna do nothing to me… if he knows what’s good for him…” Tabitha decided.

 

* * *

 

She admitted the setup in the penthouse impressed her. It wasn’t as large as Wayne Manor but it had a more modern and glamourous appeal to it. When she opened the double doors leading to the master suite, she had expected to see him active, carrying that sultry look that haunted and flustered her altogether. The noise confused her when she stepped in. The steady beeps usually heard in a hospital room bombarded her ears.

He was glad to hear the opening of the doors; that meant that his message was neither destroyed nor ignored. He didn’t know how much of it was the illness and how much was his fondness of her but Luthor took notice that Tabitha was more stunning than ever. He shifted in the bed as she approached and managed a weak smile. Her brown eyes glanced in horror at the monitoring machines that surrounded him. She took a noticeable gasp as she finally laid eyes on him.

No longer was he the suave, charming, striking and toned man from the first time they met. He had aged drastically and was rail thin. His green eyes sunk into their sockets and were no longer vibrant. Tabitha felt sympathy for the man who was known as a criminal mastermind.

“ _I was not expecting this._ ” J’onn’s voice resonated throughout the League members’ heads.

“You’re… dying?” Tabitha looked away. Lex could do nothing but let out a sigh but continued to stare at the woman.

“I’m dying. Seems as though humans aren’t immune to Kryptonite after all…” he explained. It made her look dead at him in shock.

“What…?”

“I have tried to kill Superman for years. To keep him from harming me… I’ve worn a ring made out of pure Kryptonite. That, along with how much I’ve handled the rock, itself… sped the cancer’s growth.” he continued. She was at a loss for words. In a cruel way, she thought that it was what he had deserved. But the moment she thought it, it made her feel guilty. No one deserved to die from cancer… not even Alexander Luthor.

“Why’d you want to see me?”

“There are two favors I want to ask of you. I know that we’ve had our… differences in the past…”

“Differences? Dying or not, what you did to me was so fucked up; differences, my ass! What made you think I'd do  **any**  favor for you?!”

“Because you came. You could’ve ignored my request, but you didn’t. You’re here. That alone tells me that regardless of what I’ve done to you… you still have a heart.” he gave her a smile. Tabitha huffed, folding her arms and looking away, “Besides, I don’t think the Justice League makes it a habit of denying a dying man’s request.” he pointed out. His last comment sparked her interest some. The man was right, she thought to herself. The least she could do was hear him out.

“I wanna hear what you gotta say before I make any promises.”

“Of course. My first request: I ask that you find my daughter.”

“Wait; someone was crazy enough to give you a child?!”

“I have two, actually. But my daughter is the oldest and inherits nearly everything.”

“… Okay. How… would I find her… that’s if I agree to look for her?”

“And there lies the dilemma! My third wife; she left me. Now that I’m on my deathbed, I take the blame for her leaving; I didn’t love her… at all. It was only a business marriage. But that doesn’t change the fact that when she left, she took my daughter as well. All the information that you need on her is in a folder on the desk; the rest is up to you.”

“That… actually sounds fair. I expected something more cynical outta you. Which still; I’m afraid to ask but… what’s the other favor?”

“… I’ve wanted to merge with Wayne Enterprises for a long time now. Everything that you need to give to Bruce Wayne is in another folder on the desk.” he nodded over to the corner of the room.

“What… makes you think that I know Bruce Wayne…?”

“Give me some credit, my dear. I know that Bruce Wayne is Batman. Cadmus’ top responsibility was to find out a superhero’s identity; it made it easier to keep tabs on them.”

“Since you knew… why didn’t you try to blackmail him?”

“He was never an important target to me. His reasons for fighting crime, while a bit cheesy for my tastes, are noble. The only way that Bruce Wayne could ever be a threat to society is if he tried to monopolize…” he smirked. Tabitha shrugged.

“Never thought that you could be so civil. Then again… I guess when you’re facing death…” she cut herself short, “ _What do you think?_ ”

“ _They appear to be legitimate last wishes. The chances that the estranged daughter is exactly like Luthor is slim. Bruce taking over LexCorp is beneficial as well._ ” J’onn mentioned. Tabitha found herself nodding.

“I’ll do it. I dunno how long it’ll take tracking your daughter down…”

“The fact that you’re doing it… means a lot.” he grimaced. Luthor pressed a button and Tabitha noticed that one of the IV bottles bubbled, “Morphine. Doesn’t really help anymore, but it puts me to sleep. I know… I asked for two requests. Before I doze off, can I ask for one more?” his eyes already started to glaze. Tabitha glared at him.

“I ain’t kissing you…”

“As much as I would like that, that’s not the favor. There’s no question that I’m dying. I have nothing left to fight for. Could you… could you please tell me… who is Superman?”

Her eyes widened as fear and anger bubbled in her stomach. It was classic Lex Luthor… but then it wasn’t. His ulterior motive finally came through but he was right. The man was dying. He pretty much gave up his company to Bruce. What could a frail and weak Luthor do with the information that he wanted?

“ _Kal-El knows the situation. He… sees no problem with it._ ” J’onn gave the go-ahead. Tabitha looked at Luthor, who was slipping more and more into sleep. A shiver coursed throughout her body as she turned away.

“It’s… it’s Clark Kent.”

“… The reporter. Of course… he would pose as a reporter. Goody two-shoes through and through… thank you. And… I’m sorry.” he breathed out. She fought tears; she never thought she would live to see the day that Lex Luthor would apologize… to anyone. Tabitha could do nothing but nod.

“… Me, too. Goodbye, Lex.” before she left, she made sure to grab the folders on the desk, “ _We’ll start on this as soon as possible._ ”

“ _The moment we get back to Metro Tower._ ” J’onn confirmed.

 

* * *

 

He was still fighting sleep as the figure approached him; he didn’t bother to look at them.

“… Did you… hear it?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Even… in sickness… I’m able to… provide…”

“A deal is a deal. When they find your daughter, what will we do to her?”

“… Nothing. If I can’t die… there’s nothing for her to… inherit…”

“Very well.”

By the time Brainiac started to fuse with him, Luthor couldn’t feel a thing. He was asleep with a slight smile plastered on his face, knowing that when he wakes up, the cancer that had eaten most of his body would be gone. He thanked Tabitha mentally. She had no idea that she gave him the final piece of the missing puzzle: his plan for destroying the Justice League would be complete at last.


	3. Hate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *Spoiler for Infinite Lyght*
> 
> *Writing Prompt for Deviant Art Group on 2-22-16*

She knew that hate was such a strong word. But she absolutely hated him. She couldn’t comprehend how the Justice League allowed for him to become a member. However, according to Kal-El, Alexander Luthor had turned over a new leaf.

She understood that he played a huge part in taking down the Crime Syndicate yet Tabitha had a deep feeling that something wasn’t right about it. The Lex Luthor she knew always had ulterior motives for every single thing he did. She wasn’t buying the sudden change of heart he was experiencing.

It made her grumble in her head constantly but she was a bit glad for the “alone time” with him. The two were patrolling the city of Metropolis and was keeping watch from the top of The Daily Planet.

“You haven’t said a sentence to me since I’ve been back…” Luthor brought it up casually. His voice made her hands turn into fists; she turned and glared at him.

“What made you think I’d have **anything** to say to you after all you’ve done to me?!” she nearly growled. He could only stare at her, swallowing hard. He knew all too well what she was capable of. At least, he had witnessed it. She had come dangerously close to ending his life in a blink of an eye… twice but the lightning woman always backed out.

Someone was present both times and while that gave him a bit of comfort, it wasn’t much. Tabitha Lyght was a live wire; he was pretty certain that she was capable of fighting the Justice League in its entirety by herself. Now that they were alone, he was definitely frightened.

“Tabitha…”

“Save it! I’ve waited so long to say this to you. To hell with you, Luthor! I’ve never liked you… **ever**! I hate the air that you fucking breathe! The only reason why I’m even here with you was because I was **ordered** to be! But mark my words: if you double cross any of us… I will end you. The only thing that will save you would be if…” she suddenly smirked, “Not even J’onn could save you. He’d have to kill me to stop me and we all know he ain’t gonna do that! Nothing you do will ever make me forgive you or even **like** you!”

“… N-Not even an apology…?”

“… What?”

“An apology. For all the pain I caused you.” he kept eye contact with her. Luthor knew that if he showed any weakness, she would hurt him. He wasn’t prepared for what happened next. She gave out a quick gasp as a tear fell from her eye. However, the life started to slowly leave her brown eyes as she narrowed them. Lightning formed around her hands and before he could take a breath, she pushed her hands out.

Luthor had braced himself to feel some sort of shock. But then he was quickly reminded that she had acquired another power. He felt his metal warsuit tighten on his body. When he tried to release himself, he found that he couldn’t move; she had him trapped using her electromagnetism.

“Shut up! You don’t care! You never did! You’re just saying that to save your own ass! What’s stopping me from crushing you right now?!” more tears streaked down her face. Another slight tighten made him gasp for air, “The only thing you care about is yourself! Maybe if I kill you right now, it’ll save all the trouble later!!”

“Tabitha, stop!!”

Never in his life did he think he would be glad to see the Martian…


	4. Civilian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassandra is surprised when J'onn is resurrected.
> 
> {May contain more chapters but it's not planned. If it happens, it will become deleted from here and then placed as a stand alone story}
> 
> OC: Cassandra Hutchinson/ J'onn J'onzz

I couldn’t help myself; when I saw him, I just felt… I don’t know what I felt, really. Relief, an overpowering sense of satisfaction that he was finally among us yet again. My body reacted before my mind could stop it; I ran up to him and hugged him.

“Sir! You’re alive!” I almost choked out. I had been absolutely miserable not being able to see him… and this coming from someone who was just hugging him for the first time… ever at that moment.

That’s when it dawned on me: I was hugging him. Not only was I hugging him… I was hugging him tightly. I was acting like I was his closest friend, one of the numerous League members or better yet… his long lost lover. My cheeks ached at how I overreacted and immediately let him go, looking down as I usually did whenever he was present. Although it was brief and somewhat embarrassing, I had to admit: he felt damn good in my arms!

“S-Sir… I’m sorry…” I mumbled and turned around. I needed to run away. I needed to go as far away as I possibly could… and relish in his scent that was on me at the same time. I know; I was pathetic.

Before I could hot tail it out of there, away from the questioning eyes, I felt a tender grasp on my elbow. There were no words, only motions. When I turned to see who had grabbed me, I felt a flush throughout my entire body. It was him. I lost complete control of my body; it grew limp as he turned me around to face him. His eyes, the same ones that could be cold as ice one moment, full of emotion the next, simply studied me. Was I even breathing? I couldn’t even tell! All I knew was that his red eyes softened as he pulled me even closer to him, so close that I could feel his heart thump in his chest. He was returning the hug, and it warmed me to the fullest. No… something else was happening.

His hand, so large and masculine yet surprisingly soft had cupped my chin, making me look up at him. It wasn’t my imagination; his face was drawing near to mine… like, very near. Like, our noses were touching near! And then it happened. The only reaction I could do was gasp; his lips covered mine. They were thin but cool, slightly moist and oh, so soft! I could feel my subconscious burying his head (yeah… my subconscious was male… don’t question this…) in his hands, shaking it furiously, finally yelling at me: don’t just stand there like a fucking idiot; DO SOMETHING! He was right; I had waited for this moment for almost two years: I needed to do something…

Just when I was about to wrap my arms around his… hmm… seeing that I was on my tiptoes at this point, maybe I should simply embrace him? Yeah; I was about to do that until he slowly pried my mouth open with his tongue. Yep… done for! I whimpered in his mouth when he did this and all my plans went out the window! As he ran his tongue slowly over mine, as if to trigger it to react, it surprised me of how it felt. It was smooth, not as coarse as a human’s; it was like… a snake’s tongue. Alright… I’ve never tried to kiss a snake; I mean really: who would do something like that?! But, I’ve always imagined it to be smooth.

Anyway… the sensual feeling of everything that he was doing to me; his hand still gently cupping my chin, his cool lips on mine, his tongue slowly feeling mine made me go absolutely limp. I could no longer even feel my arms as the muscles in them threw in the white towel and collapsed to my side. I was no longer solid; my limbs felt like jelly… Jell-O? Mush… goo… putty? Whatever analogy you can think of to put there, that’s how I felt! Like a snowman in Alabama on August fifteenth, that’s what I felt like: I absolutely melted! All muscular function in my body ceased to exist, which forced him to wrap his other arm around my body, holding me up.

Once he did that, something else started to happen… my body started to warm up. I continued to flush heavily as I realized why my body did that: I wanted him. Finally, my arms came out of their coma and weakly grabbed him by his cape, pulling him closer to me; my subconscious popped open a can of beer and lifted it towards me: ‘bout fucking time! A tingling sensation crawled from my groin and stayed put; when that happened, I knew that he felt it as well as he pressed his body tighter against mine: oh, boy…

Regardless of how red I must’ve gotten, regardless of the fact that I may need to change my panties out, I relished in the feeling. I was enjoying every moment of this… and I didn’t want it to end. This was something that I often dreamed about… maybe not so intense but hey, I was **not** complaining! It made me wonder why this kiss was so intense; why was his touch making me melt? Was it because I had always anticipated it, I always wanted to kiss him? Or was it just… him? That thought made me realize something: it was possible that he could be using his ability to make me feel the way I was feeling.

Another thought occurred and for once my subconscious agreed with me… vaguely. As I finally started to dart my tongue around his, wrapping my arms tighter around him, I begged in my mind for me to not forget this. I knew that he was notorious for mind wipes but this was something I eagerly wanted to remember. I pleaded with him: for God’s sake, I don’t care if you erase this kiss from everyone else’s mind but please, I beg of you, don’t erase it from mine. Don’t take away the fact that I felt like this with you… because I love it… every bit of it…

It felt like an eternity had passed when he broke the kiss, slowly and sensually. I was back on my feet fully but still in his arms. He looked down at me with those beautiful red eyes of his and a smile of satisfaction appeared.

“… I won’t…”


	5. The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *Slight Spoilers for Infinite Lyght and Brightest Lyght*
> 
> *Writing Prompt from 3/7/16 for Deviant Art Writing Group*

The old woman stared blankly at the white-haired woman. She wondered why the girl was crying, or at the very least near it. She gave her a weak smile and placed a feeble hand on her cheek.

“Why you crying? Are you lost?”

“…… No. I ain’t lost. You… don’t remember me… do you…?”

“Am I supposed to know you? Oh… don’t tell me you’re my daughter…” her brow crinkled as her voice cracked. She looked away, “I don’t remember having a daughter…”

Tabitha looked down as her hot tears fell. She trembled yet she had no idea how she should feel. Every emotion coursed throughout her body: anger and sadness were the main ones. Her hands made fists as she continued to shake.

“You do. You have a daughter. You have two sons. You have five grandkids and two great grands! Bev just started walking…” she choked out. Tabitha glared at the old woman in bed, “I don’t get it! It ain’t fair! Why?! You were a Violet Lantern!! You helped me… with so many things! I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you!!” she sobbed. Tabitha was out of her chair and fell at the side of the bed.

It had been a month since her health started deteriorating more than before. Regardless of what she encountered, Tabitha always went by to visit. A lot of days were pleasant but they were quickly far and in between. Now, the days were filled with Tabitha trying to restore her best friend’s memories. For the past five years, Dr. Jamila Lindsey suffered from dementia.

She didn’t understand it. All the medical advancements yet no one found a cure for the disease. There were slight improvements; before, people with dementia usually died from strokes or pneumonia. While no one with the illness had succumbed to those ailments in years, it still ate away at the person’s body. She could’ve had herself cloned but both women agreed that it wouldn’t be the same. The clone would have all of the memories and would be a restart of life for the former physics professor. It would have no knowledge of ever being cloned. However… Tabitha would know.

The older woman stopped gazing out the window and paid attention to the girl who laid sobbing at the side of her bed. Something told her that she should’ve been frustrated at everything. But she was calm. Slightly confused; she had no idea why the girl was crying, never mind why she was there! Whatever the case, the girl needed comforting. Jamila put her hand on top of the woman’s head.

“Ssh. You stop all that carrying on. Everything’s gonna be fine…” she tried to coax.

“N-N-No… it’s not! Why did this have to happen?! Is it… a curse…? Is it because I can’t die t-t-that… you have to… l-l-like this…?” Tabitha continued to cry.

“Oh, child; everyone dies. No one lives on forever…” the thought of it made her mind wander. She looked at the girl who continued to cry. There was something vaguely familiar about her. She studied her hair: it was perfectly white. It slowly started to come back to her. It had been ages since she had seen that mane of white. The crying… she was crying back then as well.

The scene started to form as Jamila listened to the muffled sobs. Some sort of alley and the girl was curled up in a ball. She was filthy and terrified; her eyes gave it away. Jamila slowly tilted the woman’s head up, looking into her eyes. It was the same girl, she realized. She had taken that girl away from the alley and welcomed her into her home… their home.

She had a family. A husband and children. Where were they? She took a good look at her hands; she was old. She started to slowly remember… everything. All of her memories, good and bad, flashed through her mind. When she finally realized where she was and why she was there, her eyes welled with tears. She looked back into those chestnut brown eyes.

“… Tabs…?”

“Doc…” Tabitha smiled through her tears.

“I’m dying, Tabs. I’m… so sorry…”

“I just… I just wish we could switch…”

“No. I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy. So, I definitely wouldn’t wish this on you. No one deserves this…”

“… You definitely don’t…” she sniffed. Jamila tried to smile.

“I was a… good friend… right…?”

“The best…”

“Good. That’s… good…” Jamila sighed happily as she patted her friend’s head. Tabitha sniffed as she leaned into the hand. She had to take whatever coherency she received, she realized. Overall, she was happy that Jamila finally recognized her as well as remembered.

The hand on her head became heavy, something that worried Tabitha suddenly. She looked up and saw that Jamila had fallen asleep. The more she watched her, the more she worried.

“D-Doc…?” she desperately waited for a response. More tears flowed from her eyes, “… Jamila…” she cried. Once the reality set in, she shook as a wail escaped her lips. The one who came into her life fifty years ago… was gone.


	6. No

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *Writing Prompt for 6-21-16 from Deviant Art group: Failed Romance*
> 
> *Warning Trigger: Mentioned Rape*
> 
> *Spoiler for Infinite Lyght*

“I want to ask you: why did you never give me a chance?” the question threw her off a bit. Her brow furrowed and she kept her laughter in; he had to be joking!

“Because I was taken? And you’re… you…”

“Fair enough,” he laughed a little. “But, what if you weren’t with J’onn? Would you have given me a chance?”

“The only way that would’ve happened is if you hadn’t let your girlfriend possess me…” Tabitha rolled her eyes. Luthor sighed a bit as he attempted to busy himself with the food on his plate.

“For the last time, I had no intentions of that happening.”

“You still took advantage of it.”

“… That I did and I’ve apologized for that. And Tala wasn’t my girlfriend. Although, I’ll admit that I took advantage of her feelings, since you’re forcing me to confess.”

“Forcing people to do stuff ain’t my job…” she mumbled. When Lex Luthor gave her a look, she cleared her throat. “Since we’re opening up wounds: how many times did you rape me?” she gave him a slight glare. Luthor choked on his food and gave her a wide-eyed stare.

“W-What?! I assure you that I never raped you! You can call me whatever you like but rapist will never be on that list!”

“What would you call it? Cuz, I had no idea it happened! I have no memory of anything from that whole ordeal! If that ain’t rape, then what is it?!” Tabitha argued. The first time Tabitha Lyght met Lex Luthor, she tracked him down due to a series of nightmares he appeared in. Had she known that she would’ve became possessed by a magical demon in the process, she would have never investigated him. He wasn’t the one to blame for the possession; his “assistant” saw how smitten he was over the white-haired woman and became jealous. However, he felt a need to take advantage of the situation even more.

Luthor let her words linger in his mind; she was right. The demon promised that Tabitha would feel and hear everything, particularly whenever the two laid with one another. When she was rescued by the Justice League and returned to enact some sort of revenge, he found that was a lie. She remembered nothing. He indeed had a bit of guilt over it but dismissed it all due to the fact that it was the demon hybrid who seduced him. It was true that he had no intentions of stopping its advances; he welcomed them whole heartedly. But listening to the “real” Tabitha before him, he realized that even if the demon let her feel and hear everything, she would’ve been against it no matter what.

He cleared his throat and looked at her earnestly.

“I never thought of it that way. The demon came on to me. A tiny part of it was some sort of survivalist tactic. What would have happened to me if I didn’t give in to the wishes of a demon? The rest was because it was easy for me to pretend that it was you, for obvious reasons. I wanted it to be you so much that I ignored everything else. And… that does really make it rape,” it sickened him to even think it, now. “I am truly sorry for that. I know that there’s no way you’d ever forgive me, now…” he realized. He didn’t blame her. Luthor could barely look at her as tears rolled down her cheeks; she shook as she angrily wiped at them and looked away. Tabitha huffed as she pushed herself away from the table.

“So, yeah; no: there would’ve never been a chance for there to be an ‘us’! Even if I never was with J’onn, it don’t change the fact that you decided it was a great idea to take advantage of me!”

“Tabitha…”

“Have a good lunch, Mr. President!” she sneered and walked away. Luthor sighed as he watched her leave. It could’ve gone worse; she could’ve electrocuted him on the spot. Of all his failed romances, this was the one that hit him the hardest.


	7. Time After Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An alternate reality/universe take on the chapters pertaining to time travel in Speed of Lyght. I thought of this during the original draft of that story but decided against adding it because the chapter was already too long as it was. After the first revision, it has no place other than here! 
> 
> Done for Deviant Art theme of the week- 1/23/17: Time Travel

It was weird for Tabitha to see this future, a future that included her son. In the present, the Martian and herself had just started dating; marriage and children weren't even close for discussion! However, all thanks to a time traveling thief, Bruce, Diana, John and herself were able to witness the past and this future, where she found herself a mother to a half-Martian.

After T'ony and Tabitha left the Jones' apartment, she walked in silence, not knowing what to say to him. He was a spitting image of his father, no matter what he tried to tell her. When she mentioned it to him earlier, he denied it, saying that it was actually her daughter who resembled J'onn J'onzz the most. It was enough to shock her into silence for the rest of the trip: she had not one, but two kids!

“... You have my powers. How... is that possible?" she decided to ask. T'ony smiled down at his mother.

"I was born with them." he stated and left it at that. Tabitha smiled at his answer at first but then realized what it meant. She was never cured of that mutant DNA strand. 

Another thought occurred to her and she shot a look at her son.

"T'ony... I want to see J'onn..." she stared at him. He stopped walking completely and stared back at her.

"What? Mom..."

"I know we ain't got that much time but... I want to see your father. Please?" she begged. After a moment of hesitation, T'ony sighed.

"I'm going to get into so much trouble for this..." he mumbled as he clicked his communicator, "I need a teleport; carrying one." he instructed. He grabbed his mother gently by her arm and before she could blink, that familiar sensation of being teleported happened. When her vision wasn't blurred, she took in her surroundings; they were inside of a dome. Outside of it were stretches of brown and red mixed sand and sand dunes. They were on Mars.

T'ony was glad that they were teleported just inside the bio dome; while his body could take the atmosphere outside of it, his mother couldn't. Two guards stationed right at the door saluted him immediately.

"Welcome back, sir!" one of them greeted him. They both glanced at Tabitha before staring in disbelief.

"Uh, sir... is this really..." one tried before T'ony waved him off.

"A long story. Please, carry on..."

"Yes, sir; have a good day, sir..." the other guard stated and let the two pass through a glass door. Tabitha stared back at them in disbelief before turning to her son.

"They're... Martian! How..." her thoughts were interrupted as she took in the scene laid in front of her. It seemed to be an entire city protected by the dome but it was the mix of humans and Martians that amazed her.

"When I was younger, you and father actually found more Martians who survived my uncle's wrath living on Earth. Imprisoned is more like it. The plan was to repopulate Mars with them. But... there were many humans who were outraged at their treatment; they wanted to live amongst them and... us. You and father were willing to bring whoever wanted to denounce their Earth citizenship and... this is the results of your hard work." he explained as they walked the streets. They finally stopped in front of a home that Tabitha noticed was significantly larger than the others she'd seen, "When we settled, the people wanted to thank us for our hard work and determination. They always called father the 'son of Mars'. Now, he is king." he explained more. 

As the two walked in, Tabitha was surprised by the decor. The rooms were bright and vibrant with color as numerous paintings covered the walls. Various knickknacks were scattered on shelves, along with pictures of the four. She picked up one in particular; in the background was an Egyptian pyramid.

"We did a lot of traveling..."

"Father wanted to show us the world and he did. I always suspected it was more for you than us. At first, it bored me. But once I realized that it was father's attempt to make us into a normal family, I gained more appreciation for it. Well, I shouldn't make it seem that we're not a normal family. He wanted us to do the things that a human family would do."

"I understand..." she said, giving him a warm smile.

"You really need to announce yourself, T'ony..." a voice called from around the corner. Tabitha could only stare as the figure approached them. Her son was right; her daughter was the spitting image of J'onn. Her angular features were exactly the same as his, along with her lean frame. Her red eyes stared in disbelief at Tabitha, "... mother!" she immediately hugged a stunned Tabitha.

"She's here via a time wormhole. She was chasing Lord Chronos along with Mr. Wayne, Mr. Stewart and Ms. Diana." T'ony explained.

"Really? Rex's father is here as well? Wow..." the half-Martian was amazed. Tabitha was in too much shock to say anything. The only difference aside from the obvious between her daughter and J'onn was the woman's white hair. The length was the same as her own but in a ponytail. She idly grabbed at it.

"You... have my powers, too. Of course, you do. What's... your name...?" she found her voice.

"Oh. You warped here from a time before you had us. You named me K'hym."

"In my present day, J'onn... your father and I just started dating. We haven't talked about marriage or kids or... hell; no one knows about us, yet! K'hym... why did I name you that?"

"You've always told me that it came to you in a dream. It's rumored that I'm a reincarnation of dad's first daughter. The Elders say that's why I favor him more than T'ony does. In their eyes, I'm completely Martian."

"Even in powers? T'ony... you said you made her quit the Justice League. Why?"

"... Father and I were nearly killed when Lord Chronos attacked us. I felt... I felt it best to keep her out of harm's way."

"I still want to fight..." K'hym mumbled. T'ony spoke to her in a stern manner; Tabitha would've understood it had it not been in Martian. Whatever was said, K'hym huffed and looked away. Tabitha glared at her son only for him to look down at his feet in shame.

"I'm... I'm sorry; it's a habit. I only told her that we've been through this too many times; she's safer here. I'm not the only one who agrees with that..." he eyed his younger sister. K'hym refrained from narrowing her eyes at him and looked at her mother.

"You came here to see dad and not us fighting, right?" she immediately wrapped her arm around her mother's and pulled the woman along. They went down a winding staircase into the basement. When they reached the bottom, K'hym gave her mother a loving squeeze, "It's... it's so nice to see you like this, again. I... took for granted that you're human... until five years ago..." her eyes moistened as she her voice cracked. Tabitha returned the hug as T'ony placed a gentle hand on his sister's shoulder.

A voice echoed out, speaking Martian. It was enough to make K'hym pull her mother further into the basement until what looked like a lab appeared. She didn't know what to expect however one thing wasn't seeing J'onn in his original form. He gasped in disbelief but immediately approached and embraced her.

"Tabitha..."

"Hey..."

"Time travel... that is why I was unable to communicate with you!"

"I'm sorry... I had to see you. This ain't messing with some time space continuum stuff, is it?" she asked. J'onn and their children laughed.

"Not in the least. The only thing that disrupts the time space continuum is going back and forth through time, bringing items that don't belong." J'onn explained. Tabitha nodded but her attention went to the glass cell beside them. She could only stare at what she saw: her older self in a bubble tube. Her white hair flowed along with the water inside while her face was half covered with an oxygen mask. Her frail frame was outlined by the synthetic suit.

"I'm so... old..." she whispered. J'onn chuckled and squeezed her closer to him.

"You're as beautiful to me as the first time I laid eyes on you."

"You thought I was beautiful back then...?"

"Of course. I was attracted to you from the start but I never thought you would be attracted to me." he explained. She nodded and gave a small smile that was erased at her next thought.

"What happened to me?"

"We thought that it was a simple fall until we realized that you hit your head. After surgery... you never woke up. You slipped into a coma." he told her. She looked at him and saw the sadness in his eyes. 

"I know that you're worried about me here. But... it's hell out there, J'onn. I know he almost killed you and T'ony. But the world needs you three. Why aren't you fighting? Why did you give up?"

"It's not as simple as you make it out to be. We would've been sacrificed and it would be all for nothing. A man like David Clinton can do whatever he chooses with the powers he has. Besides, even if I wanted to help, I wouldn't be able to, now."

"I don't get it."

"I know you're wondering why I am in my natural form and it has nothing to do with me being on Mars. I've lost all of my powers..."

"You... what?! But... how?!" she gaped at him. J'onn switched glances from the Tabitha in his arms to the older one in the tube.

"... I'm dying." he said without looking at anyone in the room. 

"What?! Daddy..." K'hym's eyes watered. Tabitha gasped.

"... How is that possible...?" she fought her own tears as J'onn gave her a simple smile.

"Martians aren't immortal. We can die from old age. When you slipped into that coma... I felt a part of myself die. That's when I knew."

"Father..." T'ony grabbed his father by the shoulders, "You started losing your powers five years ago. Why didn't you say anything to me?"

"You are an exceptional doctor, T'ony but there wasn't anything you could've done to prevent the inevitable."

"I could've prolonged it!"

"No. I've lived a full life, several by human standards. I lost my home planet and my family. But... I found the second love of my life, who made me the happiest Martian in the world. We repopulated Mars and I am her king. I have no regrets."

"So... we're supposed to find a cure for mother on our own...?" K'hym sniffed. J'onn gave her a sorrowful look before releasing Tabitha. He gathered his daughter in his arms.

"No. There is... there is nothing anyone can do for her. I've only kept her alive this long... so that we can die together. It is selfish, I know. But... it feels right to me."

"How much longer do you have?" her voice was shaky as Tabitha finally let her tears drop. J'onn looked at her for a moment before drawing his attention back to his daughter.

"I don't know..." he answered. Tabitha watched him but could only nod her head.

"I need to speak to your father... alone." she looked at her children. They looked at each other and then at her, "I won't be long, I promise. And don't be going through our minds, either!" she warned with a half-smile. The two smiled and nodded before going up the stairs. Tabitha and J'onn embraced each other for a while before she spoke again, "... Are you in any pain?"

"Only my heart, my love." he kissed her on her forehead.

"I know you're not afraid..."

"On the contrary. I am... terrified. My only comfort is that... the children are not children. T'ony will replace me as king; Mars will be in good hands with the two."

"Maybe... maybe it's time to let go, then."

"Tabitha..."

"No, listen. You've lived for centuries on end. It looks like I'm in my eighties. We've both lived a long life. Just... let me die. We'll both be at peace." it was hard for her to make that decision. But she knew she was right, "You do know how much longer you have... don't you?" she asked silently. His sigh was all she needed to hear.

"My last ability was lost two weeks ago. I have... two more weeks, give or take a day or so. But... I will not watch my second wife die in front of me as well. Two more weeks... and then I can say goodbye to you."

"Fine."

"I'm sorry, mom; something's not right on Earth. We have to go." T'ony's voice was heard from the top of the stairs. J'onn gave Tabitha a lingering kiss.

"I'll... see you in my present time..."

"I am pretty sure I look forward to it. I love you, Tabitha." he told her. It was shocking to hear those words and Tabitha had to remind herself that she was in the future.

"I... I love you, too, J'onn."


	8. Creation/Destruction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MAJOR SPOILER FOR FORBIDDEN DESIRE!! If you don't want to know, STOP READING NOW! Go to the next chapter!
> 
> Done for Deviant Art Theme of the Week for 01/30/17

It was foolish of me to be there. My presence only made Wally uncomfortable and Jamila more nervous than she needed to be. As selfish as it made me, I wanted to be there. There was an urge that wouldn’t go away and for all good reason. The human was about to give birth. What I didn’t want to admit to the couple was that the child was unmistakably mine.

Was this how it would be? The birth of this child would mean my end, as well as Jamila’s? The word to describe it, I was told, was a contraction: another one hit Jamila and her body shook from the pain. My wife was there to hold her hand. My wife would be the one to end our lives the moment the baby was born. The tears that formed on Jamila’s face: I knew they were more for the realization of that fact rather than the contraction, itself.

What could I do? While Wally and Jamila West prayed to their god the child would be born normal, I knew better. When Jamila and I both agreed to not tell Tabitha of our discretions, never in my life span did I imagine I would impregnate her. One option was to keep my other human in hiding until after the birth of the child. However, how could I when her best friend would question her whereabouts? And how would we keep the child hidden from my wife? Martian children did not acquire their shape shifting ability until what the earthlings called the toddler phase.

Tabitha asked me to block Jamila’s pain receptors but the woman turned the thought down. Maybe this was her way of punishing herself; going through the pain of childbirth. I switched glances from one impregnated belly to the other; I would have to block Tabitha’s when the time came for her to endure this. It was overwhelming that I would had gone from centuries of being childless to two that would be birthed nearly back-to-back. It was not a proud moment.

A flash of a thought went through and I needed to contemplate it. It was indeed a probable answer to the dire situation, no matter how vile. I was capable of mind alterations. I could make the humans believe that Jamila was giving birth to a human child. I could arrange it to where everyone who saw the half-Martian boy would see a fully human one. But it was unfair to do such a thing. It would mean to manipulate too many minds. And what about those who I couldn’t? Wally; I could never use my telepathy on him, let alone perform a basic mind read. He literally thought too quickly for me to do so.

Before long, she was fully ready to give birth. In another life, in another place, this would be normal. To have two wives, each one carrying my child and to love both with all my being. We would all love each other with no repercussions. No judgment from the outside world. It was not the case in this current situation. My wife under the impression that she was the only one, that I only had eyes for her. When in reality, my heart was torn in two. I caved in to my carnal desires and mated with her best friend.

I needed not to dwell on it, not at that moment. The medics were telling her to push; my son would soon intake his first breath of this world. My initial idea of mind altering returned to me. Perhaps… I didn’t need to alter the humans’ minds… but my own son’s. It would be risky for him but only in the matter of his own abilities. I made sure that a species of White Martians believed themselves to be human: their Martian abilities forever lost. As much as I did not want my son to experience that… did I have any other choice? It would spare his mother’s life; I was no longer worried about my own. I could survive Tabitha’s wrath; Jamila… would not.

As quickly as the idea came to me, I made the decision to go through with it. I stared at my other human as I used my ability on our son. She was terrified; she knew that her moment of truth was very near. That was when I made another decision. Jamila didn’t need this weighing on her mind. For as long as **I** knew that she held a special place in my heart… it was all that mattered. The fear immediately vanished from her face and within a few more pushes, the now human child was born.

 

I found Wally outside of the newly installed nursery. Not too many superhuman births happen but they didn’t go unnoticed. I would be lying to myself if I said Jamila wasn’t the main purpose of building one after so long aboard Watchtower. I knew that everyone assumed that it was for Tabitha’s sake that I insisted.

I watched him silently as he stared at the child beyond the glass. There was no need to attempt to read his thoughts; I knew what he was thinking. The sniffle and lone tear that accompanied it needed no further explanation. He didn’t bother to hide either as he looked at me.

“Where’s Tabby…?”

“She is with Jamila. They’re arranging for the triplets to see their new brother. Wally, I know when something is bothering you. Speak your mind.” I attempted to coax. His jaw twitched as another tear escaped and he looked back at the baby.

“… Is he mine, J’onn…?”

“Look at him. It would be blatantly obvious if he were mine…” I answered lowly. My words were enough to make him break down. Anyone passing by would assume that he was simply overwhelmed at being a father. I knew that it was more of relief washing over him. It was another reason why I did what I did. Wally West did not need the burden of raising another’s child.

I was elated when he didn’t flinch as I laid my hand gently on his shoulder. In fact, his body relaxed as soon as I did so.

“S-So… he’ll have my speedster DNA…”

“It is a high possibility, yes.”

“That’s my boy…” he sniffed and smiled widely at the newborn. Wally wiped his face and looked at me. “You… did something back there. To Mila.”

“Wally-”

“No; what did you do? I can tell.”

“I… I removed a memory from her.”

“… Why…?”

“You make her happy, Wally. She deserves to be in peace. There is no need to have what we did weighing heavy on her mind any longer. If I consider myself a friend, it is the least I could do… for her and yourself. I can carry all the guilt for her, now.” I explained to him. Not fully; there was no need for him to know all the details of what I done. Yes, I erased the memory of our affair from her mind. I also replaced them with non-sensual moments between the two of us. She would still consider me one of her dearest friends.

“Thank you, J’onn…”

“It is what a friend should do.” I gave him a small smile. I would make sure to take all of our secrets, all of what I had done, to the grave. There would be no need to make anyone else miserable… aside from myself.


	9. Celebration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spoiler for Infinite Lyght (not a major one)
> 
> Done for Deviant Art Weekly Writing Prompt for 2/6/17

He chuckled as he watched his mother-in-law take their child away as she headed towards the kitchen. Tabitha gave him a pout.

“But… he’s not theirs…”

“You heard them; he is their only grandchild. If they want to dote on him, I have no problem with that.” he wrapped an arm around his wife. She sighed as they went into the kitchen.

People who met the Martian always assumed that it would be hard to surprise him; they always thought that he used his telepathy constantly. However, it was quite the opposite; J’onn J’onzz hardly ever used his abilities unless it was necessary. He understood that it was a violation of a human’s trust to go through their mind just because.

He stopped short as he noticed who else accompanied the Lyghts in their kitchen. Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and the Flash were all smiles. J’onn opened his mouth to say something but noticed the cake on the table. He was close to asking whose birthday they were about to celebrate when he noticed what was written on the cake: Congratulations, J’onn. He gave everyone a puzzled look.

“He’s confused…?” Olivia looked at her daughter. Tabitha laughed and hugged her husband.

“I told you he wouldn’t have a clue about this! He don’t go through minds all silly nilly like that!”

“What is the meaning of this?” J’onn asked, looking down at his wife.

“Well, I couldn’t help thinking that there was something else important behind the fact of us getting married. Mom was the one who pointed it out after T’ony was born. Do you know what happened after we said ‘I Do’?”

“… No.”

“When you married me… you became an American Earth citizen.” she beamed at him. J’onn took in what she said and could do nothing but stare at her.

“I… did?”

“Tabitha came to me about it. We spoke to the president and Congress. They’re in serious talks about expanding the Immigration Act to include us aliens. Right now, they’re going to treat your marriage as an immigrant marrying a natural citizen.” Superman explained.

“Makes sense,” Curtis Lyght nodded. He tried to keep the child in his arms from reaching out towards the cake. “If anything, you’re at least American, now.”

J’onn finally smiled at what everyone was trying to tell him. For years, all he wanted was to belong on the planet he was forced to call home. Now, because he married the one he loved, he could legally call the place home. He finally belonged.

“I… do not know what to say. Oh, Tabitha… it was never my intention to become an Earth citizen so…”

“I know, silly! It took me a minute to realize it. Don’t worry. Now, cut your cake so we can celebrate before the baby dives in!” she laughed as her father struggled to keep the child still. J’onn took a moment to smile at the sight before cutting into his cake.

“Thank you. You did not have to do this…”

“Yeah, we did! It’s only right; you’re our buddy!” the Flash gleamed at the Martian. He nodded and actually blushed at his words. His assumptions all these years were not in vain. The Justice League weren’t just colleagues in fighting justice alongside himself. They were his friends. As everyone settled in the living room with their slices of Oreo cake, he watched as his friends took turns playing or holding his son, chuckling to himself as his wife fussed at each one for “playing too rough” with the child. It made him realize that they were more than his friends; they were indeed family.


	10. Festivity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Done for Deviant Art The Write Inspiration Prompt: 3/13/17
> 
> Prompt originally taken from DC Bland Headcanon: J'onn J'onzz doesn't celebrate the Fourth of July due to his fear of pyrotechnics. Instead, he spends time on Watchtower watching romcoms and eating barbecue that the others send him.

Tabitha was surprised to see her husband aboard. He was at his usual spot, keeping watch as Monitor at the console; she didn’t expect him there. She also wasn’t expecting the layout before him: the Martian had a variety of snack food (including his utmost favorite, Oreos), three liters of soda and was browsing through Netflix on one of the monitors.

“Babe…?” it didn’t matter how long they’ve known each other, J’onn was always thrilled to hear her voice. He turned and gave her a loving smile. “What are you doing here?”

“You were never one to note the obvious…” he smirked. The lightning woman narrowed her eyes at him. J’onn noticed her expression and his changed. “You are serious.”

“Yeah! Did you forget what today is? We got ten minutes to meet mom and dad and the kids at the riverfront, and you’re sitting here about to watch Netflix…? Which… is that legal…?” she eyed him. J’onn gave her a chuckle.

“Whoever is on Monitor duty is allowed to indulge a bit.”

“Aw! You gotta get someone else to do Monitor duty; we’ve planned this! This’ll be the first time the kids can enjoy the fireworks and…”

“And, I’m unable to enjoy them…”

“… What…?”

“Tabitha. It’s pyrotechnics.” the Martian tried to explain. Tabitha gave him a blank stare for a moment before her skin flushed.

“Oh…”

“Yes. While I am certain that we’d be a good distance away… I’d rather not take any chances.”

“So… you’ve never been able to enjoy a Fourth of July, huh?”

“Afraid not. Don’t let me ruin you or the children’s enjoyment. Go.”

“But-”

“I will be fine. There’s plenty for me to do here. Maybe I can finally enjoy a movie in peace; Wally is on Earth celebrating the holiday as well…” J’onn smirked. The speedster wouldn’t be able to chide the Martian on his choice of movies for the night: romantic comedies.

Tabitha made her way over to her husband and planted a lingering kiss on his lips. She sighed.

“It ain’t right…”

“Don’t talk yourself out of this because of me, my love. The next holiday is Labor Day? I will make it up to you and the children.”

“Eh. That’s not a real big one. Just a bunch of people who get off work for it.”

“Hmm. Halloween, then. We can throw that Halloween party you’ve always wanted.”

“Promise?” Tabitha beamed at the idea.

“Always,” J’onn returned the kiss with a smile. “Now, leave me, human woman, to my snacks and movies…”

“You’re pushing it, Martian!” she gave him a playful glare.

 

J’onn J’onzz didn’t know how long he was engulfed into his Fourth of July ritual. The sound of someone teleporting caught his attention and he glanced over at the teleportation pads. He grinned as he watched his wife juggle paper plates wrapped in foil in one hand, their toddler daughter on the other hip and losing her grip on their son’s hand. The half-Martian child ran to his father and jumped in his lap.

“What are you doing here? Are the festivities on Earth over?” he gave his son a warm smile.

“It rained. We couldn’t see the fireworks…” the boy pouted.

“Oh. I am sorry to hear that. Well, then: I suppose we can find that show you like on here…”

“It’s okay. Mommy told me to just give you good night love and then we’re going to spend the night with Aunt Doc!”

“I see. You be on your best behavior for your aunt, then.”

“Yes, father…” the boy smiled and hugged his father. Tabitha gave the Martian his daughter as the girl reached for him. He spoke to her in his Martian tongue and both smiled. T’ony laughed.

“Okay, what was all that about? What did I tell you about talking to them in Martian with me around…?”

“Father told K’hym to behave with Aunt Doc, too but K’hym is a baby! She doesn’t understand father, yet!” T’ony interpreted.

“How will they know their culture if I do not teach them, my love? Besides, she understands more than you think. I will see you two tomorrow.” he hugged his children. Tabitha placed the plates along with his snack foods and took the children back to Earth.

She returned moments later, just as J’onn was peeking inside one of the plates. He looked at her.

“What is all this…?”

“Barbecue. That’s right; I’ve never cooked it for you. It’s what we eat on the Fourth. You’re in for a treat, too; that’s Memphis barbecue! Doc definitely needs her own Food Network show! Anyway; she felt bad about you not able to enjoy this holiday and made you a plate. Oh, my God; wait ‘til you taste her banana pudding!” the woman started to unwrap the plates. J’onn simply watched her.

“What about yourself? You were looking forward to this holiday.”

“Oh… I’m staying here with you. We can eat and watch movies together. Feels only right to do that. It’s why I sent my babies back to doc’s. It ain’t raining there so hopefully they’ll get to see **some** fireworks.”

“You won’t join them?”

“I want to but… one Fourth of July without me won’t hurt ‘em. They’re more excited to be around doc and the trips, anyway. And… I couldn’t let you sit here all by yourself,” she smiled as she sat in his lap. Tabitha fed J’onn an Oreo and looked at the screen. “So… what we watching?”

“… Clueless.”

“Oh; that’s a funny one!” she snuggled closer to him. The Martian sighed happily as the two began to watch the movie. Perhaps this will be the Fourth of July ritual for now on, he thought to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... I have no idea why it took me so long to post this... O_o


	11. Crazy Cat Martian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Done for Deviant Art Weekly Writing Prompt 8/28/17: Writer's Choice

It was rare that she had the time to relax like she did, sitting at the breakfast table with her favorite mug filled with coffee. Tabitha turned the page of the book her best friend loaned her and relished fully in the plot, nearly getting lost in the story, itself. Her thoughts were semi-interrupted as something bounded onto the table in her peripherals. She glanced up and thought nothing of the charcoal cat until it meowed. It was enough to make her jump back and study the animal in full.

“… J’onn!” she bellowed but kept an eye on the feline, who sat and licked its paws casually. The Martian appeared soon afterwards and smiled at his wife before his attention went to the cat on the table. He gasped and went to pick the cat up.

“Mr. Poe, what are you doing on the table? We’ve discussed this…”

“Mr. Poe…”

“Yes. I, oh...” he saw the look his wife gave him. J’onn looked down at the animal as it purred in his arms. “Ah. He’s named after–”

“Edgar Allan Poe, I get that. Um… why is there a cat in the house?”

“Oh, you don’t like cats? Pet him, he loves it.” The Martian presented the cat to her but Tabitha backed away.

“Why is there a cat in the house?!”

“Tabitha, please understand…”

“Ten seconds, J’onn…”

“Yes. Well… oh, Tabitha, someone was giving him away and no one wanted him. I had to take him.” He explained quickly. Tabitha sighed heavily as she shook her head.

“What if I was allergic?”

“You’re not.”

“How do you know I’m–”

“Father! Mr. Eliot and Miss Angelou got o… mom!” their son ran into the kitchen, two similar cats dangling from his arms. Tabitha widened her eyes at her son and glared at her husband.

“Two more?!” she yelled and J’onn gave their son a sheepish look.

“Where is Mr. Hemingway?”

“… He’s under my bed.”

“Under your… J’onn and T’ony J’onzz, how many cats are in this house?”

“Four.” The two Martians said in unison.

“Tabitha, I could not leave Mr. Poe’s siblings behind–”

“How long have they been in the house?” she calmly asked.

“A… month?”

“Oh, my God; when were you gonna tell me? How did you keep four cats hidden for a month?!”

“It was not easy, I tell you that…”

“You expect me to say yes to keeping these cats?”

“I will not put them out on the street. And besides, they love T’ony.” He nodded towards their son. The two cats in his arms purred and snuggled on him as the little boy smiled widely at them. He looked at his mother with a small pout.

“Please, mom? I have to take care of them…” he continued to pout. Tabitha’s stern look softened as another sigh escaped.

“Fine. But only because they seem to like T’ony… and he loves ‘em.”

“Thank you, my love. You have six happy people in the house, now.”

 

“You have… how many cats?”

“Seven,” Tabitha grumbled in her mug. “And for some odd reason, they all like me.” she huffed as an orange and black-striped cat rubbed against her leg. It jumped into her lap as she idly stroked its back.

“And who is that?” Jamila suppressed a laugh, nodding towards the cat.

“Take a wild guess what her name is!”

“Let’s see: he’s named the others after famous writers… oh… aw, her name’s Tabby, isn’t it?” the professor grinned ear to ear as Tabitha rolled her eyes. “I thought that you put your foot down with the initial four?”

“I’ve realized that J’onn is a crazy cat lady in disguise. He **has** to be!” she said and the women laughed. The front door opening and closing caught their attention.

“My love?”

“In the kitchen!”

“Please don’t be mad at me…”

“Uh oh…” Jamila mumbled under her breath.

“No. No, no, no, no, no…” Tabitha grumbled and let out a heavy sigh as J’onn entered the kitchen, carrying a black cat with white paws. “J’onn!”

“He is a rescue…”

“And then there were eight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be planted somewhere in the beginning of Infinite Lyght but due to overexcitement over the fact that I finally wrote out chapter two, I omitted this. Better late than never, though...


	12. H'ronmeer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deviant Art Writing Prompt for 11/20/17: Character Flaw
> 
> Possible spoiler for either Infinite Lyght or Brightest Lyght.
> 
> Taken from Martian Manhunter 1988 mini-arc.

“There… _there_! He’s right there!”

“I see him, Tabitha.” Bruce sighed and he landed the Batwing close to their destination. He only scrambled out to stop Tabitha from approaching her husband who fought the fiery shadow apparition. Tabitha ignored her surroundings: the only thing on her mind was to stop whatever it was from attacking her husband. She charged up as she approached the two and hit the being with her lightning. It turned but she performed a Lightning Cloud and was standing in front of her husband, protecting the Martian as he knelt in agony.

“Tabitha… no…” he called out weakly but she kept her narrowed eyes on the fire beast.

H’ronmeer, the Martian god of death, fire and art peered down at the human and she threw her hands out, her attempt at blocking J’onn from him. “I need the son of Mars, human.”

“Over my dead body, you’ll get him!” she glared and charged up once more, energy waves pulsating over her arms.

He knew she meant well: he always took pride in the fact that his human wife would take up for him, no matter who threatened him. J’onn knew that Tabitha loved him with all of her soul and was willing to fight for him, even if it meant her demise. The fire god weakened him tremendously, seeing that his primary weakness was to that very element. J’onn J’onzz made the decision to give up his fight as the two Justice League members came to his rescue.

“So be it…” H’ronmeer inched closer to the two. Tabitha stood her ground and summoned for Zeus’s power from her amulet, the waves of electricity sparking out of control over her hands.

The Martian gathered just enough strength to phase through the woman, stopping her potential assault. “Tabitha… stop.”

“J’onn! You can’t fight him: he’s made of fire!”

“I know. And, I’m not fighting him anymore. My fever is gone… and I can understand better, now. Forgive me, my love: I know you better than you know yourself and I have to do this.” He nodded solemnly at her. Tabitha furrowed her brow at his words until she felt the blow across her jaw. She fell to the ground but before losing consciousness, Tabitha watched in horror as the Martian approached the god and both disappeared before her eyes.


	13. Mistletoe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Writing Prompt for Deviant Art's 25 Days of Christmas Raffle
> 
> Day 1: Mistletoe

To call the party a success was an understatement. Then again, I was unhappy and drunk so there was no use in asking me. I _did_ enjoy watching Wally run around the room with some sort of mistletoe headband: the band itself was buried under those fiery red locks but a wire jutted upward and kept a plastic thing of mistletoe smartly above his head. Everyone took it in stride because, Wally West would always be Wally West. At least someone was having loads of fun.

I could’ve kicked everyone out but that would’ve made me a bad hostess so I tolerated the festivities. Besides, it wasn’t every day that someone could gather up a handful of the Justice League members and have them just be themselves. If anything, I relished in _that_ feeling instead of the one that wanted to come up.

The one thing I could say about Wally was that I loved our relationship. He was one of my best friends but never tried to force me to talk about anything. He knew when to come by and be a listening ear, even if I didn’t tell him the whole truth. He didn’t need to know about the affair I was carrying on with my other best friend’s boyfriend. Regardless, he was there for me and always had a bottle of wine for me to cheer up with!

I knew my limit was nearing as the buzzed feeling grew so I opted for water instead of another glass of whatever punch Tabitha made. She was currently in my kitchen, giving her boyfriend, J’onn seductive looks because she was past drunk. It was why I found myself on the couch, moping: that should’ve been me flirting with the Martian.

My thoughts were interrupted as someone sat beside me. I looked and almost smiled at Wally until I realized he was waiting on me to kiss him. I smirked and shook my head.

“Go away.”

“What? Come on: everyone’s kissed me, tonight! Even Bruce.”

“Wait, what? I missed that…?”

“It was on the forehead but… I got a kiss from Batman so…”

“He has feelings…?”

“Right!” we both laughed. I stared at the fake mistletoe but shrugged.

“You know mistletoe is poisonous, right?”

“Really…?”

“Yeah.”

“Then, why is it a tradition to kiss underneath it?”

“Something to do with Loki’s mom. He killed one of his brothers with an arrow made from the stuff and she blessed it away or some shit.”

“Shut up, you’re making that up!”

“Hey, Tabs!” I called out and she immediately appeared, giggling at who was sitting next to me. “You’re cool with Loki still, right?”

“Fuck you…” she rolled her eyes and went back into the kitchen: I had an urge to mess with her!

“That wasn’t nice. Funny, but not nice!” even Wally knew our friend couldn’t stand the god of mischief.

“Seriously. She became pissed and declared that it wouldn’t be used for a weapon but rather she would place a kiss on anyone who passed under it.”

“That’s kinda… cool in a fucked-up way.”

“Yeah.”

“So… maybe you could bless me.”

“You’ve been _blessed_ by everyone here.”

“But… I want to be blessed by a goddess.” He added quietly. I was about to argue that Diana already kissed him but then I realized what he was trying to say. I stopped concentrating on my cup of water and looked at him. His green eyes sparkled in anticipation and something inside nudged me to grant his wish.

It was a good thing I had a lot of liquid courage: before I knew it, my lips were on his. Wally moaned in surprise but eventually wrapped his arms around me, pulling me more into the kiss. I blushed at the fact that he was a great kisser: the blush deepened as I overheard the encouragement from everyone else in the room.

I immediately broke the kiss but he still held me in his arms, a slight smile on his face. “I’ve wanted to do that for the longest…” he breathed out and it made me flustered all over again. So much that all I could think of was getting up and away from him. “Doc, wait.” Was all I heard before I headed outside. My heart continued to race as I slumped down on the bottom step of my porch. I went through so many emotions as I replayed the kiss and finally came to a conclusion as I idly licked my lips.

There was a spark… and I wouldn’t have minded another kiss from the Flash.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An alternate version of Wally and Jamila's first kiss from Forbidden Desire.


	14. Fruit Cake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Writing Prompt for Deviant Art's 25 Days of Christmas Raffle
> 
> Day 3-Trope: Everyone Hates Fruit Cakes

Hearing her name with such urgency made the lightning woman run down the stairs of their home. She stopped short as she watched her husband examine a package with intent on their kitchen table.

The Martian looked up at his wife but pointed at the box. “What is this…?”

“Um,” Tabitha approached the table with care. Her worried look turned into a smirk, accompanied with an eye roll. “Oh, hell…”

“I have a feeling that your smile is very deceiving…”

“No. It’s…” she took a deep sigh and pulled the cake out of the box. “Aunt Anne’s fruit cake.”

“Cake? It doesn’t smell like cake.”

“No… it don’t. And I wouldn’t suggest eating it, either!”

“Oh?”

“It’s… well… what’s the most disgusting thing to eat on Mars?” she looked at her husband. J’onn took his attention away from the brown loaf and thought for a moment.

“Juickers…”

“J’onn! Watch your mouth!” she widened her eyes at him but he chuckled. “Oh, that’s the name of the most disgusting thing on Mars.”

“Yes. You do not want to know how it’s made.”

“And, now it’s on my mind. Anyway: fruit cake is ten times worse.”

“Impossible.”

“Trust me. I know you guys say I over exaggerate a lot of stuff but trust me on this one thing.”

“If you say so, my love.” He went back to examining the loaf. Tabitha smirked at him.

“You’re gonna try to eat it… aren’t ya?”

“If only to prove you wrong.”

“Alright…” her sing sang voice caused him to smirk. She gave him a kiss before leaving but he narrowed his red eyes at the fruit cake.

“I doubt you taste worse than juickers…”

 

“Um… Tabs? Why is J’onn burning leaves with extreme prejudice?” Jamila looked out the bay window as she slightly bounced the infant half-Martian in her arms. Tabitha came into the living room and grabbed her daughter from her best friend. She watched her husband for a moment and let out a laugh: the Martian was using his heat vision.

“He ain’t burning leaves. Let’s just say that I’m gonna go out there and sing a chorus of ‘I Told You So’. Wanna be my backup singer?”

“I’m so confused right now…”

“He tried fruit cake.”

“Oh…” she watched as J’onn continued to use his heat vision rays: the spot he concentrated on nothing but a blackened mess in the grass. “I guess that confirms it: _everyone_ hates fruit cake…”


End file.
